ALASKA: An abundance of natural beauty means a high standard of living in the Last Frontier.

According to Gallup's 2014 Standard of Living Index, Alaskans are more satisfied with their quality of life than people living in any other US state. One of the primary reasons why life up north is so enjoyable is the abundance of natural beauty. Despite challenging weather and isolated towns, Alaska boasts incredible lakes and mountains and diverse wildlife.

"I had the good fortune in my 20s to travel to a lot of different parts of the world, and while there are places that probably match Alaska's beauty, none topped it," writes Quora user Tara Kyle.

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ARIZONA: Phoenix is a more affordable version of Silicon Valley.

Phoenix, Arizona.
Dreamframer/Shutterstock

Arizona's economy has experienced a boom in recent years due to job growth in the technology sector. With the astronomical cost of living in the Bay Area, some Silicon Valley companies are relocating to Phoenix — a much more affordable city.

"The Phoenix metro area was hit hard by the housing bust, but it is experiencing a strong recovery. The unemployment rate has recently fallen below 5%, the lowest in eight years, and several Silicon Valley companies, including Yelp and Uber, have opened new offices in the region," the New York Times reported in 2016.

ARKANSAS: Unique architecture and nature go hand-in-hand.

As the "Natural State," Arkansas is known for stunning locales such as the Ozark Mountains and Hot Springs National Park. You'll also find incredible architecture throughout the state that complements the verdant environs, from the Moshe Safdie-designed Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville to Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka, a so-called "Ozark Gothic" structure inspired by Paris' Sainte-Chapelle.

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CALIFORNIA: The sunshine is hard to beat.

It's always sunny in California, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has gathered the data to prove it.

In 2014, the online real estate database company Zillow used NOAA weather data to determine which cities in the US are the most pleasant year-round. With 261 pleasant days, San Diego topped the list, followed by three more California cities: Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco.

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COLORADO: Whether they live in a small town or a major city, Coloradans take advantage of the state's mountainous terrain.

DELAWARE: Delaware's central location makes travel to the tri-state area and beyond a breeze.

In addition to the lack of sales tax, people in Delaware praise their state's proximity to destinations along the east coast. Friends and family in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland are just a car ride away.

Reddit users love that Delaware is no more than three hours from New York, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. Those who live in Wilmington are close enough to Philadelphia to commute there for work.

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FLORIDA: The Sunshine State has 1,200 miles of coastline — and one of the best beaches in the world.

Florida has nearly 1,200 miles of coastline. From the Gulf Coast to the Florida Keys, residents in the Sunshine State have their pick of beaches.

In fact, eight Florida beaches made the cut in TripAdvisor's 2018 Travelers' Choice Awards, with Clearwater Beach earning the distinction of the best beach in the US— and the seventh best in the world.

INDIANA: It's one of the cheapest places to live in the US.

Indianapolis, Indiana.
Shutterstock

Indiana is one of the most affordable states in the US. According to a 2017 study published by CNBC, it's the second-cheapest place to live in America after Mississippi. The findings come from the study's Cost of Living category, which is based on an index of the prices for basic items like milk and meat.

"What is remarkable about Indiana is not the people or even the lovely landscape. It is the high standard of living here in the Midwest," writes Quora user Marti LaChance.

KANSAS: The landscape, especially the Flint Hills region, is underrated.

"There's no place like home," Dorothy says in "The Wizard of Oz," referring to Kansas. One of the most incredible — and underrated — parts of the Sunflower State is the Flint Hills region, whose landscape was formed by the erosion of limestones and shales. The area is apparently one of the best places in the world to watch a sunset.

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KENTUCKY: The Kentucky Derby is basically a national holiday.

Derby hats are a big deal.
Michael Hickey/Stringer/Getty

More than an excuse to don a fancy hat and enjoy a mint julep, the Kentucky Derby is basically a holiday in the Bluegrass State. Since its conception 143 years ago, it has come to mean so much more to America than a mere sporting event. The Derby arguably represents the unification of several different American obsessions: drinking, gambling, and celebrity.

Some even describe the lead-up to the event — held at Louisville's Churchill Downs — as a fifth season, packed with parties, festivals, and other celebrations. One of the most famous gatherings is Thunder Over Louisville, which features an air show and fireworks.

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LOUISIANA: Whether you're at a festival or on your front porch, live music abounds in Louisiana.

Live music abounds in Louisiana, where you can hear a variety of genres ranging from jazz to Cajun — even from the comfort of your porch.

"I love porch jams with fiddles, accordions and a guitar — watching guys with hands the size of hams play and sing the sad, sweet songs in French, where even the two-steps have a tinge of melancholy — I love that more than anything," writes Quora user Sharon LaFleur.

MAINE: From farm-fresh produce to craft breweries, local living is a highlight for Mainers.

From farm-fresh produce (like those blueberries the state is famous for) to craft breweries, Maine is a locavore's dream come true — with the statistics to prove it.

Last year, the Vermont-based advocacy group Strolling of the Heifers ranked Maine as the second most locavore-focused state in the US. The organization calculated its findings based on seven sets of data about local food consumption patterns such as farmers' markets per capita and the percentage of school districts that have implemented a farm-to-school program.

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MARYLAND: It lives up to its nickname, "America in Miniature."

One of Maryland's nicknames is "America in Miniature," a moniker that nods to the variety of natural features that the 10,460-square-mile state contains. From the Atlantic shore to Sugarloaf Mountain, you'll find a little bit of everything in Maryland, except for a desert.

"It is not a large state, but everything from demographics, socio-economic status, geography, weather, etc. vary wildly depending where you are in the state," writes Quora user Tim O'Brien.

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MASSACHUSETTS: Great K-12 schools and elite universities make Massachusetts one of the most educated states in the US.

Massachusetts placed first in WalletHub's 2018 study of the most educated US states. The personal finance website calculated its findings by analyzing school quality, educational attainment, and achievement gaps between genders and races.

The New England state — which is home to some of the most elite universities in America such as MIT and Harvard — not only received the best overall score (81.92), but got the highest marks in the "educational attainment" and "quality of education" categories.

MICHIGAN: You have access to four of the five Great Lakes.

Michigan, which has 3,200 miles of breathtaking coastline, is divided into an Upper Peninsula and a Lower Peninsula. These land forms are defined by four of the five Great Lakes — Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior — hence the nickname, the "Great Lakes State."

"If you've never stood on the shore of one of the Great Lakes or driven along the shoreline, it is difficult to appreciate the magnitude. It really is like being on a freshwater ocean," writes Quora user Alejandro Regueiro.

MISSOURI: In a land-locked state, the Lake of the Ozarks is a refreshing destination, boasting more than 1,100 miles of shoreline.

Missouri may be land-locked, but it still has its fair share of beaches. With more than 1,100 miles of shoreline, the Lake of the Ozarks is a major Midwest tourist destination. Residents and visitors flock to the area to go hiking, swimming, and floating in rafts and tubes.

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MONTANA: It's easy to escape into nature.

"There aren't many other places in the lower 48 states where you have access to such huge areas of untouched nature — and so few people to mess it up," INSIDER's Katie Warren, a Montana native, said. "You're always a short drive from amazing, secluded hiking trails that will take you through wild forest to somewhere with a stunning view and probably a clear, mountain lake."

PENNSYLVANIA: There are a ton of great colleges to choose from.

Penn State.
Penn State Abington/Facebook

Penn State has been dubbed one of the "Public Ivies" because of its reputation for providing an education that is on par with Ivy League schools as a public university. There's also an actual Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania, and other prestigious private universities like Carnegie Mellon.

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RHODE ISLAND: Everything is close by.

Measuring just 1,214 square miles, getting anywhere in Rhode Island won't take you too long. Despite its small size, it has plenty of scenic routes to offer like Ocean Drive in Newport, which will take visitors past the many ostentatious homes built here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as it was a favorite spot to summer for the wealthy.

UTAH: It's home to a plethora of incredible national parks.

From rock formations in Arches to canyon trails in Zion, every single one of Utah's five national parks is iconic in its own right. There's never a shortage of new paths to hike and gorgeous natural sites to see.

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VERMONT: It's the home of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, as well as the Ben and Jerry's factory.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. Vermont remains the home of Ben and Jerry's factory today, where tours come with a free sample of ice cream. It's a pretty great claim to fame.

WASHINGTON: The fresh seafood is world-famous.

Washington's Pacific Coast is home to fresh seafood in abundance. Pike's Place Fish Market in Seattle is the most famous seafood destination in the state, where mongers are known for tossing freshly-caught fish to each other.

WISCONSIN: Door County is an idyllic getaway with small-town charm.

In Door County — which is located on a peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan —you'll find art galleries, orchards, and plenty of greenery, including five state parks and 19 county parks. It's an underrated gem.

"Zero traffic," Wyoming resident Lauren Perry wrote on Thought Catalog in a piece about why she loves living there. "I can leave the house three minutes after I was supposed to be at work and STILL get there on time."

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